You Can Get Amazon Echo Auto for 55% Off Right Now
If you’re looking for a way to add voice assistance while driving, you might want to check out Amazon Echo Auto , which is now reduced to $24.99 from $54.99. It’s a compact, rectangular device that adds Alexa to your car’s system, with an action and mute button on the front fabric grille and Alexa’s familiar blue light ring on top. You can connect it through your car’s USB port or use the included 12V adapter, making it quite flexible for different setups.
It comes with a magnetic adhesive mount that attaches to your dashboard and has a fairly simple setup process – just plug it in, pair it with the Alexa app, and you’re basically done – unless the pairing fails, which it reportedly does . . This PCMag review mentions the need to reboot phones or even unplug and replug the device before it can connect. However, once paired, the microphone accepts commands well.
If your car doesn’t have a smart system, Echo Auto offers some features. Alexa can answer calls, play music, control podcasts and radio. However, music requests can sometimes be dicey – sometimes it starts playing right away, and sometimes the corresponding app doesn’t show up on the car’s display at all. Also, if you’re hoping to use YouTube Music, this device doesn’t support it. Instead, you’ll have Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and a few others at your disposal. However, be aware that if you already use CarPlay or other smart systems, Echo Auto may seem overkill due to too many workarounds for seamless integration.
You can ask Echo Auto for directions, but this only works through the Alexa app, which then requires you to tap on the phone to open your preferred maps app. It’s workable, although not quite as you might expect. If you plan to use this feature frequently, you’ll need to have your phone installed on hand—which can make Echo Auto seem unnecessary (again) unless your phone really has a hard time accepting voice commands. In this case, the Echo Auto microphone does its job perfectly.